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Symposium

The biennial Global Forum Symposium represents the “Exchange” Pillar of the Global Forum. It is designed to foster the dialogue between all relevant stakeholders in fighting illicit financial flows. Policymakers, law enforcement authorities, financial sector representatives, civil society organizations, and academia converge at this influential event. The Global Forum Symposium aims to include actors not typically involved in international standard-setting processes, to incorporate their views in the global agenda. With each iteration, the Global Forum Symposium delves into specific technical sub-topics, unravelling the intricate linkages between combating illicit financial flows and fostering sustainable development.

The second Global Forum Symposium took place in September 2022 under the headline “Implementing International Standards Effectively, Coherently, and in a Development-Oriented Manner”.

It brought together over 300 participants and key stakeholders from different sectors and levels of government to foster knowledge transfer, promote the exchange of best practices and identify innovative approaches in the fight against illicit financial flows. The second Global Forum Symposium combined high-level discussions – by panelists such as Hon. Mahen Seeruttun (Minister of Financial Services and Good Governace, Mauritius), Ms. Vasilika Vjero (Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, Albania), Mr. Esteban Fullin (Executive Secretary of the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America), Ms. Irene Ovonji-Odida (Member of the UN High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency, and Integrity) and Dr. Marcus Pleyer (President of the Financial Action Task Force from 2020 to 2022) among others – with topical breakout sessions focused on solutions and concrete actions in five selected areas, covering:

Beneficial Ownership Transparency

BO Registers: why we need them and how to implement them in an effective, coherent, and development-oriented manner.

Digital Transformation

Path to Dataland: identifying & addressing IFFs risks with the help of data.

Environmental Conservation

Catalysts of change: building partnerships to follow the money of environmental crimes.

Inclusive Financial Integrity

Leaving no one behind: how to achieve financial
integrity that includes all.

Social Re-use of Assets

Crime does not pay, social re-use of assets does.

The first Global Forum Symposium was held in September 2020 under the headline “Linking the Fight Against Illicit Financial Flows to the Development Agenda”.

The virtual conference brought together over 400 participants from public, private and civil society sectors. The first Global Forum Symposium combined high-level discussions – by panelists such as Ms Ine Eriksen Søreide (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway), Mr Norbert Barthle (Parliamentary Secretary of State at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), Mr Thabo Mbeki (former President of South Africa and Chair of the AU High-Level Panel on IFFs), Mr Jean-Luc Lemahieu (Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs at the UNODC), Ms Slagjana Taseva (Chair of Transparency International Macedonia) among others. The 2020 Symposium focused on:

Illicit Financial Flows in the Digital Age

Threats and opportunities for developing countries.

De-Risking

Balancing regulation and financial inclusion.

Shrinking Space

Impact of counter-terrorism financing policies on civil society.

Global Asset Recovery

Responsibilities of developed and developing countries.

Rethinking Participation

The inclusive development and evaluation of international standards.